Can The Cavs Right The Ship?

We’re just a day away from March and the Madness that famously accompanies it, and yet, we’ve hardly talked at all about ACC basketball this year. To be honest, there just hasn’t been all that much to discuss 😴

• Don’t get me wrong, there’s still been a fair share of high-quality ACC basketball this season, with three teams in the most recent AP Top 25 and five teams currently projected to receive a tournament invite

• But for a conference that was recently the undisputed heavyweight of the college basketball world, it’s undoubtedly been a bit of a down year ⬇️

For most of the season, it’s looked as though the ACC could claim one legit title contender in the Virginia Cavaliers, who have reached as high as #2 in the AP Poll and were a top-6 team as recently as last week

• But after a four-game rough patch by the Cavs, featuring a pair of one-possession wins over ACC bottom-feeders followed by back-to-back losses, it’s fair to wonder if there’s any team in the conference capable of a deep tourney run 🤔

• UVA has a lot of pieces of the puzzle, with one of the best coaches in the country in Tony Bennett, a seasoned point guard with championship experience in Kihei Clark and a top-10 defense

• But at the end of the day, you gotta be able to score the rock, and lately this team has struggled to do so with just 57 PPG over their current skid 🥶

The Cavaliers have a great chance to get back on track tonight with the opportunity for a statement win against a very tough Clemson team; here’s how the lines are looking for the showdown in Charlottesville 👇

Clemson vs. #13 Virginia Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Spread: Virginia -5.5

• Moneyline: Virginia -255 (bet $255, win $100), Clemson +205 (bet $100, win $205)

• O/U: 130.5

• When: 7PM on ACCN

The Tigers recently found themselves in a cold spell of their own, but last week we saw them return to their early season form in a big way 📈

• Clemson scored 90+ in each of their double-digit wins over Syracuse and NC State, highlighted by an award-winning week from senior forward Hunter Tyson that featured a pair of double-doubles and 8-of-14 shooting from deep 🔥

The Tigers' surging offense will be put to the test tonight against a Virginia defense that has allowed 70 points just three times this season, setting up a clash of styles you won't want to miss 😎

Life Without Coach K

With all the talk of a down year in the ACC, it’s hard not to immediately pinpoint the performance of the league’s two blue-bloods. While UNC has taken the brunt of the criticism as one of the country’s biggest disappointments, their neighbors up Tobacco Road haven’t lived up to expectations either 😬

• At Duke, the first season of life without Coach K hasn’t been the smoothest of transitions. New head coach Jon Scheyer has led the Blue Devils to a solid 21-8 record so far, but their performance has been a far cry from the expectations of a preseason top-8 team

• Simply put, you’d think the team with the best recruiting class in the country (four five-stars!) would be closer to the top of the rankings than the tournament bubble. But despite the growing pains, the Blue Devil faithful are rallying around their guy ⬇️

Duke still has the talent to be an opponent no one wants to face in the tourney, and a win over an in-state rival tonight could all but cement their spot on the field. Check out how the lines are shaping up for a primetime ESPN matchup against NC State 👇

NC State vs. Duke Betting Preview

• Spread: Duke -5.5

• Moneyline: Duke -225, NC State +184

• O/U: 143.5

• When: 7PM on ESPN

For much of the season the Wolfpack has looked like the most dangerous college basketball team in the state of North Carolina, and that was especially true when they first faced Duke at the start of January 😳

• On Jan. 4th, NC State cruised past #16 Duke in a 84-60 romp in Raleigh, featuring a game-high 24 points from top NBA prospect Terquavion Smith. The high-scoring sophomore guard has only added more fuel to the fire since the big win with some comments last week 😏

The Wolfpack can back the talk by pulling off the season sweep over the Blue Devils tonight, but that will be easier said than done at Cameroon Indoor Stadium, a place where Duke has yet to lose all season and NC State has won just once since 1995 🤯

For My Parlay Gurus

I went with a couple of road teams in my Big 12 parlay last week and got absolutely burned, so I’ve learned my lesson and will limit myself to just one visitor this time around. I like Duke to defend their home court against NC State, but I think Clemson makes things a little closer than UVA would like. Check it out 👇

• Clemson +5.5 vs. UVA: -102

• Duke -5.5 vs. NC State: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $278 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

Want more sports content from Overtime? Check us out on TikTok 🗣Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Join thousands of other informed subscribers

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Many will enter, only some will win. Giveaway ends 12 hours after the completion of the final game references within the giveaway. The winner will be notified via the email address used to enter. Restrictions apply. See the General Conditions and Releases sections of Overtime's Terms of Use at https://overtime.tv/terms for additional giveaway terms©2023 Overtime Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.